


close to my heart

by poludeuces



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: F/M, M/M, references to lb1-lb4, some other servants are referenced but it's mostly these two, they/them for ritsuka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 03:20:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20382823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poludeuces/pseuds/poludeuces
Summary: ritsuka is having difficulty learning mineralogy magic. avicebron attempts to help.





	close to my heart

**Author's Note:**

> hi! it's another gudavi fic  
some notes:  
\- i use they/them pronouns for ritsuka. helps anyone imagine themselves in the place of ritsuka.  
\- some references to lb1-lb4, nothing too spoiler-y  
\- some references to part 1, big spoiler wrt goetia  
\- think that's it, enjoy!

“Sleep,” a voice cuts Ritsuka’s stream of consciousness and they raise their head up. 

Avicebron stands in the doorway, his hand gripping the frame. His mask is on so they can’t see this face, but they can still feel the disappointment that seems to drip from every word.

“I’m almost done.” Ritsuka waves their hand and looks back down at the mana crystals before them. They’re gifts from Paracelsus. Surrounded by casters, it would be easy for any mage to feel weak in comparison. Ritsuka’s strength was even weaker. 

Avicebron tuts his lips and walks into their room. The door closes behind him. “You haven’t made any progress from when I walked past your room an hour ago.” 

Ritsuka rolls their eyes, “Yeah, well, it’s difficult.”

They place a finger on the crystal—a shimmering blue sapphire—and close their eyes. They exhale deeply, biting their lip as mana cracked through their magic circuits. They envisioned the desired outcome: the same crystal but as a saint quartz. Furrowing their brow, they focused on their wish. The mana poured out of their finger and ran into the crystal.

It cracked at the sudden power. The solid melted, changing to fit its master’s desires, slowly turning into the new shape. As it was settling into the familiar mold, it cracked. The crystal caved in before shattering into pieces.

“It’s no use!” Ritsuka exclaimed, slamming their head into the desk. 

“No, it’s not,” Avicebron responded. “Look.”

Ritsuka shook their head. “I don’t wanna.”

Avicebron sighed and tapped their head. “A good student watches their teacher in order to learn.”

“You’re just going to wave your hand and it’s going to be perfect.”

“Look, Ritsuka,” Avicebron repeated. 

The master groaned and looked up, “Fine.”

He swept the pieces of the broken sapphire into a small pile. “Watch closely.” When all of the pieces were gathered up, he scooped them into his palms. He covered it with his hands. Sighing, he pressed his palms together. A bright flash of blue light escaped through the cracks in his fingers. Soft crackling echoed through the room.

As Avicebron opened up his hands, a small sapphire golem appeared.

“Cute,” Ritsuka said softly. 

“Thank you.” Avicebron placed it gently on the desk near the other stones. 

They admired the work, resting their head on their palm. “You make it look so easy,” they complained. They reached out to touch the golem, rubbing its head.

“It is easy.”

“You’re also a caster, and a golem master at that.”

Avicebron folded his arms. Even with the mask on, Ritsuka knew he was giving them a harsh look. “I am by no means Paracelsus or a mineralogy caster.”

“Rock golems aren’t that far off from crystals.” They sighed and looked up at their servant. “And you are a master, after all. I’m just…a poor excuse of a mage.” They reached for another stone, this time a scarlet ruby.

Avicebron grabbed the other chair and rolled it up to the desk, so that he sat across from them. He readjusted his shroud and leaned into the chair, crossing his legs. “You are no ‘poor excuse of a mage’, master. Your bonds with the servants should be telling of that.”

“And yet Lord El-Melloi II says this is something a ten-year-old should be able to do!” Ritsuka groaned, flicking the ruby away. 

“You should not be comparing yourself to his students, they are often from long mage family lines and have extreme power,” Avicebron suggested. “You have made significant progress, despite not being from The Clock Tower.”

“I need to be stronger, though.”

“You will not improve if you prioritize foolish decisions over sleep.” Avicebron nodded at the roof. “We have time before the next lost belt. You must focus on preparing yourself, which includes rest and not pushing yourself too much.”

“The other crypters probably aren’t sleeping.”

“It is not your job to think about them right now. Comparing oneself to them will do nothing but continue to add onto your stress.”

“How can I not think about them? I mean this whole thing is about me fighting these much stronger masters, right? And if I don’t then the world will be destroyed? I mean, Goetia didn’t think that I’d be able to and that’s why he tried to end me first! Not to mention that even Galahad doesn’t trust me to do it and left us to try our best. And look at them! They’re the top 7 best masters, right? One of them has even been a servant actually! I’m not a servant! I don’t even have those mystic eyes, I don’t have raw power, heck I can’t even make a rock into a different shape!”

A soft sigh could be heard escaping Avicebron’s lips. He rested his hands on Ritsuka’s, delicately as if not to hurt them with the metal gauntlets. It’s a little bit of heat to contrast with the coldness of the new base they had been using as their outpost. And it’s nice, Ritsuka thinks. One would expect a rock golem composed mostly of metal and rock to be cold—and his mask definitely was—but his hands and his throw, when Ritsuka borrowed it on occasion, were surprisingly warm. They instinctively curled their fingers in tight. Avicebron’s hands did not leave.

“Ritsuka, your strength is not in raw power,” Avicebron began. 

They blew out a raspberry, “Yeah that’s obvious.”

He tapped their hand before returning his soft grip on their fist. “Do not interrupt.” They mumbled out an apology before he continued, “As I’ve said, your strength is in the bonds with your servants.”

Ritsuka shrugged their shoulders, “Who cares.”

“Your ability to develop _deep_ relationships with your servants is key to your success so far, and will continue to be as you go forward,” Avicebron explained. “You’ve successfully turned vampires, tyrants, kings and emperors to your side. You’ve taken previous enemies and made them powerful allies.” He pauses for a second before turning his head to the side, a sign that Ritsuka knew meant he was smiling. “Yes, you’ve even removed the darkness covering a blinded villain and made him see the right way.”

“You’re not as bad as you make yourself out to be, Avicebron,” they mumble. Despite the mask, they cannot meet Avicebron’s face, instead choosing to look at the crystal golem once more.

“And the same could be said of you, master.” He patted their hands once more, “Your skills are steadily improving.”

Ritsuka blushed, “T-thank you.” They look down at their lap. “I’m just. I’m just worried about what will happen… what’ll happen if…” They bite down on their lip so strong it almost draws blood.

“If?” Avicebron prods, tilting his head again. 

“If…if you guys are out there fighting and doing your best and I can’t even protect myself. I don’t want you guys always saving my butt when I could do it on my own and also support you guys. If I could maybe do some mineralogy magic then maybe I’d be more useful…” They adjust awkwardly in their chair, still refusing to meet Avicebron’s gaze.

“Ah.” Avicebron leans back, withdrawing his hands. Ritsuka’s hands almost move due to the lack of heat. The cold air feels like heartbreak.

A couple of seconds pass and the curiosity kills them. They hear some rustling, and look up to see Avicebron reaching into his cape. Ritsuka widens their eyes as he pulls out a fig.

They’ve seen the dreams. They’ve read his stories. They’ve heard about the experience from Avicebron himself. The murder out of envy, the fig tree sprouting delicious fruit from his corpse, the truth being uncovered. Effortlessly, he pulls the fruit apart, it splitting with a crack. Juice drips down onto the table and the seeds blink back at them. 

All Ritsuka can think is how delicious it looks.

And they don’t even like figs.

“Here, master,” Avicebron says, extending his arm and handing Ritsuka the fig. “Please.”

“I, I can’t do that, don’t you have to die for it to work? I don’t want to kill y-”

Avicebron laughs, “No no! This is just to taste.”

A blush decorates Ritsuka’s face. “Oh!” They try not to think too much about how sweet and lovely Avicebron’s laugh sounds, like a wind chime dancing with a warm summer’s breeze. “Then…then yes, I’ll sample some.”

They take the fig from Avicebron’s hand. Ritsuka takes one more glance up at Avicebron, who nods at them, before a bite in the center. It’s soft and juicy as they suck in, cupping their mouth to spit out some of the seeds. It’s so good, they didn’t even know that figs could taste that good! Perhaps, they think, it’s because it’s from Avicebron. Perhaps…it is because it is from his body. Does Avicebron taste like figs? 

They quickly shake those thoughts away.

“How is it, master?” Avicebron asks as they finish a second bite.

Ritsuka nods, “It’s delicious.”

They cannot see his face, but with his tone, they know he’s smiling. “I’m glad.” He looks down at the other half still in his hand. “Before a battle, I’ll give you one of these. You already know what can be done if you eat this and I die. Even if I fall, you’ll be safe, albeit for just a little while.” He lets out a small sigh. “Even in death, I wish to support you, master.”

Ritsuka’s voice is stuck in their throat. All they can muster is to open their mouth and stare. 

Avicebron chuckles softly, “You’re going to catch flies that way.” He sets the other half down onto the table and threads his fingers. “You must already know that you are very important to me, master. No matter what happens to me, no matter how frequently I fall, you’re always there to help me back after a battle. For that, I’m extremely grateful.”

He moves before Ritsuka is even able to react. They wanted to say no that they really weren’t that important, that he would say the same things to any master, but they’re cut off. 

He grabs the ruby that Ritsuka flicked away and sets it in front of them. He taps it. “That’s why, in whatever way I can, I want to help you whenever you feel frustrated, or if you’re ever close to falling.” 

Avicebron’s opens his hand. Ritsuka takes it. He gently leads it to the ruby, “Try two fingers instead,” he advises. Ritsuka presses two fingers to the stone. Avicebron’s hand rests on top of theirs, the warmth calming them down. Despite the flurry of emotions that makes Ritsuka’s body shake, his hand is comforting, like a blanket on a cold day.

They let out the breath caught in their lungs. They close their eyes, so that all of their focus is on the ruby underneath their fingertips. They feel the electric buzzing of their magic circuits, as energy flows from them to the stone. It crackles and comes to life, transforming due to his control. They do not relent, pushing the power.

And then it’s done.

“Oh wow,” Avicebron says.

Ritsuka opens their eyes and immediately blushes. The ruby changed shape into a semi-plus shape, shining with a new beauty. That isn’t what makes them blush. It’s the fact that it perfectly matches the shape that Avicebron’s center piece for this third ascension. They hadn’t really thought of anything when they had started, but somehow it had ended up like that.

“I’m sorry I’ll try doing something else,” Ritsuka begins, waving their hands. They grab the stone and close their eyes again, “Okay okay, I can do this.”

“Ritsuka.”

Avicebron has grabbed their fist. It’s not as gentle as before—it’s certain, direct, commanding. 

It’s not bad, Ritsuka thinks.

“Yes?” they squeak.

“…Could, could I keep that?” he asks. 

Their eyes widen and they’re almost certain that their entire face is red by this point. “Are you sure? I mean it’s not even that good, I could definitely make something better for you. Do you want a golem? I could try making a golem if you’d like, you like golems, right?”

Avicebron’s grip tightens, “I want what you made, please.”

Ritsuka opens up their hand and Avicebron delicately takes the stone from their palm. 

“Thank you.”

He lifts it up against his chest and compares it. “It’s a bit smaller than my emerald, but.” He summons a tiny golem to his shoulder and gifts it to them, who happily takes it and runs off. “It should not take much modification for it to fit.”

Ritsuka stands up in surprise, knocking their chair down onto the floor. “Wait? No that’s okay! You don’t need to do that!”

Avicebron also stands up, admiring the jewel. “Master, you’re important to me. I want,” he pauses, as if choosing his words carefully, “I want to keep you close to my heart.”

This is when Ritsuka passes out due to the surprise.

\--

“You must sleep more,” is what Avicebron tells them when they finally wake up.

“What?” they groggily reply, rubbing their eyes.

Avicebron crossed his legs. He was sitting in the chair by their bed. “You don’t want to hear what Nightingale was planning to do to me when I rushed you to the infirmary after you passed out. You almost hit your head on the table! What would have happened if she had murdered me due to your sleeping habits?”

Ritsuka rubbed their hair, “Sorry Avicebron.” Their eyes settled on the center of his chest, where the ruby gleamed. The night’s memories flooded and a blush returned. 

There was a mask, but Ritsuka could almost _feel_ Avicebron’s cocky smirk. 

“You…you got it to fit?” Ritsuka asked.

Avicebron gestured to the chest piece, “Yes I did. It looks good, doesn’t it, master? Red doesn’t work the best with blue and gold, maybe I should do red and black stripes to switch it up.”

Ritsuka’s brain almost exploded imagining that colour swap. 

“It…you do look good, Avicebron.”

“Thank you, master,” Avicebron replied. He summoned a novel and began reading.

“W-what are you doing?” Ritsuka asked.

“Ah, yes,” he looked up from the book. “It appears that… you may have actually hit your head on the table when you fell… So it’s now my job to get care of you… doctor’s orders.”

Ritsuka sighed and fell back into their pillows. Come to think of it, they could feel a slight headache. “I see…Thank you, Avicebron.”

Avicebron flipped a page, “Go back to sleep.”

“Can’t I just eat a fig and feel better?”

“You and I both know that’s not how they work.”

“Guess that’s for the interlude.” 

Avicebron chuckled.

“Good night, Avi.”

“Good night, Ritsuka.”

**Author's Note:**

> hi! it's me again  
i still love avicebron, i know have him at level 90, bond level 10, 10/10/10, he's great love him  
hope you enjoyed the fic! i wanted to tackle guda's feeling of being lesser to the crypters.   
i feel like this was a little all over the place but hopefully it came all together  
thank you for reading!  
you can follow me at @musketeermasque on twitter and @muskeeteersmasquerade on tumblr, and i have an art blog on tumblr called @pollyxart for some avicebron content


End file.
